"I don't want to give up control" — Chef Lee Frank reflects on solo challenge in Yes, Chef!

The latest episode of Yes, Chef! aired on May 26, 2025, putting the spotlight on individual skills with a solo challenge. For the first time, the remaining seven chefs had to cook alone—no teams, no captains, and no one to rely on except themselves.

The challenge, called “Dish it out and take it,” gave each chef 90 minutes to create a family-style dish, but with a twist: the chefs had to judge each other’s dishes and vote on who should face the elimination cookoff. Chef Lee Frank, the owner of Otis restaurant in Exeter, saw the challenge as a chance to take charge.

“I have an ego. I don’t want to give up control. I don’t know if this show is helping or just making me feel worse about myself?” he said in a confessional.

Frank, who was nominated for the competition by his sous chef, has been open about feeling overlooked in his career, and this challenge gave him the freedom to focus on his food. The episode also saw Katsuji Tanabe exit the competition without explanation, and the cookoff between Chris Morales and Peter Richardson led to another chef’s departure.

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Chefs tackle solo challenge; Frank earns praise for steak and polenta in Yes, Chef!

The solo challenge gave the chefs complete freedom to cook, but also placed the responsibility of judgment in their hands. Each chef had to award a star to the dish they thought was the strongest. Frank prepared grilled hanger steak with spring onion polenta and buttermilk curd. Chef Ronny Miranda praised the dish,

“The steak is perfectly cooked. The polenta was amazing,” she shared.

Chef Jake Lawler impressed the most, earning four stars for his pan-seared duck breast with celery root purée and cauliflower salad. Lawler was also named the Most Valuable Chef and received an extra vote. Frank and Emily Brubaker both used their votes to send Peter Richardson into the cookoff.

“The biggest miss was the pasta. The asparagus was overcooked. The mushrooms didn’t have a lot of flavor with no sauce on the noodle,” Frank explained his decision.

Lawler, however, chose not to vote for Richardson. Chef Chris Morales struggled with his lamb dish, acknowledging that the fat’s "not rendered" and pieces were "not charred."

Chef Chris Morales had trouble with his lamb dish, admitting the fat didn’t render well, and some parts were burnt. He said each mistake hurt his confidence. Frank noted the edges were cooked, but the center was too raw. As a result, Morales was voted into the cookoff.

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Cookoff showdown between Richardson and Morales ends with Richardson’s exit in Yes, Chef!

Richardson and Morales faced off in a 30-minute egg cookoff in Yes, Chef! Morales prepared egg pasta ravioli with a quail egg, brown butter sauce, and truffles, while Richardson made deviled eggs with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, paprika, and caviar.

Chef José Andrés appreciated Richardson’s deviled eggs but also noted areas for improvement. Martha Stewart commented that the eggs were messy, too salty, and had too much lemon juice. Andrés found it difficult to taste the egg in Morales’ dish, while Stewart thought Morales’ ravioli was a well-conceived dish.

After tasting both plates, the judges decided that Richardson would be eliminated from the Yes, Chef! competition. Richardson admitted that he was frustrated and blamed himself for the outcome. After the cookoff, he expressed his emotions off-camera, revealing that he had injured his hand out of frustration and needed ice.

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Frank now moves forward in the competition as one of the remaining six chefs. Yes, Chef! continues airing Mondays at 10 pm on NBC, with episodes available for streaming on Peacock.